Rumpelstiltskin occasionally traded with the family. He knew enough to understand their ties to certain threads of fate he was following, but he also knew that the less he dealt directly with the parents, the better. Indifference was the easiest to work with, but giving the Dark One reasons not to like you was never a good forecast for a good deal.

"When so many offer it just to watch you fall when they take it away, that quickly stops being something you trust, unfortunately. Too many people are far too comfortable failing that test."